Jennifer Lopez teared up after accepting the People’s Icon Award a the 2020 E! People’s Choice Awards Sunday. Surprise messages from some famous friends and loved ones made for an emotional time. Renee Zellweger and Nicole Kidman both shared “heartfelt memories.” Other celeb messages included Kim Kardashian, Kerry Washington, Jane Fonda, Matthew McConaughey, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. But none could top the video message from her 12-year-old twins—Emme and Max that had the singer and actress moved.
“2020 was no joke, right?” Lopez said, as she wiped a tear from her eye. “I mean before 2020, we were obsessing about winning this award, getting nominated for that award. We were caught up on who sold the most records or who had the biggest box office opening.”
“But this year was the great leveler. It showed us what mattered, what didn’t, and for me, reinforced what matters most: people. All of us,” Lopez continued.
The multi-talented star dressed in a red minidress by Christian Siriano shared that her career challenges made receiving the Icon Award especially meaningful.
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“Sometimes my big dreams and my ambitions made the people around me nervous,” Lopez shared. “People would say, ‘You’re a dancer, you can’t be an actress. You’re an actress, what, you want to sing? You’re an artist, you won’t be taken seriously as a businesswoman.'”
“The more they said I couldn’t, the more I knew that I had to,” she added. “So now, here I stand, so very grateful, knowing that the true measure of my success is not in box office numbers or records sold but from the love that I feel from all of you.”
Lopez who’s year began with her Super Bowl performance has remained busy during a time that continues to be difficult for many, having released two singles, launched a new DSW shoe line, and “starred” in a new Coach campaign. You can also find the “Hustler’s” actress enjoying an occasional TikTok challenge or two. The downside was not having her 2020 dream wedding with fiance Alex Rodriguez because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lopez recently announced on Instagram her soon-to-be-released skincare line JLO BEAUTY DROPS drops on 1/1/21.
Congratulations JLo!
Photo Credit: Christopher Polk/E! mages
